June 22, 1962 - President Kennedy urged industry today to speed up equality of job opportunities for Negroes. The best way, he said, is “to make it happen.” In ruling out a go-slow approach to Negro job rights, Mr. Kennedy urged “constant stimulation” by the Federal Government, private industry, and local groups. Together with Vice President Johnson and Secretary of Labor Arthur J. Goldberg, the President praised the executives of 33 major companies who signed voluntary Plans for Progress at the White House today. The signatory companies included the Aluminum Company of America, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., and the AT&T. They pledged steps to end barriers to Negroes in hiring, training, and promotion. “It’s worth your efforts,” Mr. Kennedy told the businessmen. “We cannot leave an important segment of our population out in the cold.”
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